Do you feel like you’re throwing money down a black hole with constant upgrades and bills when it comes to your smartphone? The average British consumer is spending over £439 every year on their phone bill, and that doesn’t include upgrades and accessories.

Smartphones have become a necessary part of everyday life, with access to email, bank details, and real-time navigation on the go, but it doesn’t have to be such a drain on the wallet. It’s possible to reduce the amount you’re spending on your phone with a few simple tips.

Unlock your phone

Many smartphones in the UK come locked, meaning you can only use the SIM card belonging to the telecommunications provider you signed up to. Their plan might have been a bargain when you first signed up, but the market can change. It’s legal to unlock mobile phone in the UK, so look for a service like Unlocking Smart, which can unlock almost every phone make and model, and provides a guarantee on their unlocking codes.

When your phone is unlocked, research and compare plans available in your area so you can get yourself a better deal. A pre-paid plan will, in particular, be much cheaper than most contracts, especially if you’ve already got a phone ready to use.

2.Save on data

You’re probably wasting huge amounts of data every day without realizing it – even an audio track can use up to 115MB of data per hour. Listening to music all day at work can burn through your data allowance in less than a week! If you like to watch videos or listen to podcasts on the go, then try and download them using your at-home Wi-Fi.

If you find other apps are chewing through your data allowance, you can check your phone’s settings, and block certain data-hungry apps from accessing mobile data. Many cafés, restaurants, shopping malls and even banks now offer free Wi-Fi to customers, so you can scroll through Facebook during your morning coffee break and get your social fix without using mobile data.

3. Refresh, don’t recycle

We seem to have reached a plateau in the mobile phone industry, where with each update, not a lot changes. A few megapixels here, a faster processor there – but is it really worth spending a fortnight’s salary just to keep up to date with the latest tech? If your phone is getting laggy and slow, try resetting it to factory settings at least once every six months. Just make sure you’ve backed up your data and contact information first!

You can also save apps you’ve purchased to your Google or Apple account and download them again after a factory reset with your data intact. Uninstall large apps you don’t need and disable unnecessary apps from your operating system or phone manufacturer that you can’t uninstall. Prevent apps from running in the background unless they’re really essential, and not only will your phone run smoother, but the battery will last much longer throughout the day.

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